Fouutaiu-pen



B. B. BRADFORD.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

APPLICATION FILEDJULY 6. I9I8.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

, Snom/tozmcemdjard mOi/M 04j Wmme@ f/ BRUCE BRADFORD, OF-IEORT MADISON, IOWA. Y

FG'UNTAIN-PEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

Application led July 6, 1918. Serial No. 243,610.

- To all whom t may concern:

type.

Be'it known that I, BRUCE B. BRADFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Madison, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in F ountain-Pens, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fountain pens and particularly to the means for filling a fountain pen of the so called self-lling` More specifically stated, the object of the invention is to provide in conjunction with a fountain pen having a collapsible resilient ink holding tube or sack, means for compressing and collapsing said tube, comprising a presser plate, a retracting spring for said plate, and a lever for advancing said plate toward its compressing position, said spring embodying a plurality of terminally connected resilient portions to one of which the presser plate is attached and to another of which the lever is pivoted, the arrangement being such that the lever is housed flush within a recess formed in the barrel of the pen, when the device is moved out of its compressing position.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the improved fountain pen, parts being shown in elevation and the ink holdingtube being shown in its normal position. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the same, showing the parts in their tube collapsing or compressing position.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the several parts of the tube collapsing means, segregated.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section showing.

the form of the spring.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the main body or barrel of a fountain pen, 2 the end section which carries the pen or writing point and ink feeder, 3 the cap section, and 4 the resilient collapsible inkhold ing tube or sack, said parts being arranged in the usual way.

In carrying out the present invention, I provide novel-means for collapsing the tube 4 in order that ink may be drawn into said tube to fill the same by allowing said tube to expand after it has been compressed and while the point of the pen isheld submerged 1n mk. The tube compressing means embodies a presser plate 5 which is relatively vnarrow and long and has concaved inner face 6 and a convex outer face 7 The presser plate 5 is adapted to bear against the outer surface of the collapsible tube 4 as shown in the drawings. 8 designates a spring of special formation, the same being preferably slightly concaved on its inner face as shown at 9 and convex on its outer face as shown at 10. The body of the spring is formed with parallel longitudinal cuts or VVslits 11, said slits terminating short of the extreme ends of the body of the spring and thereby forming a plurality of longltudinally extending spring portions 12, 13 and 14. The central spring portion 13 is attached centrally to the central part of the presser plateby means of a clip or detent 15 having end portions16 which are inthe side portions 12 and 14 of the spring are ears 19 which receive a pivot 20 that extends through openings 21 in a vlongitudinally channeled lever 22 shown in detail in Fig. 3, the end portions of the pivot. 20 being received in coresponding openings in the barrel 1 of the pen. Thus, the lever 22 isA pivotally connected to the portions 12 and 14 of the spring 8 and also to the barrel of the pen. Therefore, when the lever is swung from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the pivot'20 remains stationary and serves to hold the portions 12 and 14 of the spring centrally in the saine place 'while the other central portion 13 of the spring is advanced inwardly by the inner extremity of the lever 22. Said lever by reason of its channeled formation is adapted to embrace an upstanding stop shoulder` 23 on the detent 15, while the extremity of the main wall 24 is adapted to ride over an inclined shoulder 25 of the detent and drop into a notch or depression 26 thereof immediately adjacent to the stop shoulder 23. The lever is held in such position until the point of the pen has been submerged in ink and then the lever is rocked from the position shown in F ig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. l, the sprmg serving to return said lever quickly to the last named position When the lever has been started in the right direction. rlhis permits the tube fl to expand and lill With ink. llie loiver extremities of the flanges of the channeled lever 22 are enlarged and rounded as shown at 27 so as to bear and Work against the side portions l2 and lil of the spring 8 during the manipulation of said lever. The lever, When in its normal or inoperative position, is housed entirely Within a longitudinal recess or slot 28 in the side Wall oi' the barrel 1 of the pen Where it will not project and catch in the clothing. One end of the slot 28 intersects a transversely extending linger nail notch 29 which acilitates lifting the extremity or the lever with the aid of the finger nail. By means oi' the construction described, the ink tube or sack is compressed or collapsed throughout the major portion or its length in assuring an ample supply of inlr therefor, when the tube is allowed to expand.

l claim:

l, In a fountain pen having a collapsible resilient ink-holding tube, means for compressing and collapsing said tube, comprising a presser plate, a retracting spring for said plate, and a lever for advancing said plate toward its compressing position, said spring embodying a plate slitted longitudinally to provide a plurality of terminally connected resilient portions to one of Which the presser plate is attached and to another of which the lever is pivoted.

2. 1n a fountain pen having a collapsible resilient ink-holding tube, means i'or compressing and collapsing said tube, comprising a presser plate, a retracting spring for said plate, and a lever for advancing said plate toward its compressing position, said rspring embodying a plate slitted longitudinally to provide a plurality'of terminally yalso pivotally attached to the barrel of the pen.

3. In a fountain pen having a collapsible resilient ink-holding tube, means for compressing and collapsing said tube, comprising a presser plate, a retracting spring for said plate, andv a lever `tor advancing said plate toward its compressing position, said spring embodying a plate slitted longitudinally to provide a plurality of terminally connected resilient portions to one of Which the presser plate is attached and to another of which the lever is pivoted, and a leverengaging detent on a portion of said spring.

el. in a :fountain pen having a collapsible resilient ink-holding tube, means for compressing and collapsing said tube, comprising a presser plate, a retracting spring for said plate, a lever for advancing said plate toward its compressing position, said spring embodying a plate slitted longitudinally to provide a pluralityof terminally connected resilient portions to one of which the presser plate is attached and to another of which the lever is pivoted, and a leverengaging detent on a portion of said spring, said lever being of channeled formation adapting it to straddle said detent.

in a fountain pen having a collapsible resilient ink-holding tube, means for compressing and collapsing said tube, comprising a presser plate, a retracting spring for said plate, and a lever for advancing said plate toward its compressing position, said spring emboc ying a plate slitted longitudinallyto provide a plurality of terminally connected resilient portions, one of which carries the presser plate and another of which is attached to the barrel of the pen.

In testimony vvhereol1 l afiix my signature.

BRUCE B. BRADFORD. p 

